billings



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

L. G. BILLING S.

GABINET FOR TYPE WRITERS, 850-.

,968. Patented Nov. 12, 1889.

INVENTOR WITNESSES N, PETERS. Phblwlilhognphar, Walhingiau. D. C.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

, L. G. BILLINGS.

CABINET FOR TYPE WRITERS,- 660.

No. 414,968. Patented Nov. 12 1889 I a 1 1 I W m; V m

WITNESSES 00. WM 42%; 654W NUPETERS, Fhnm-Lllhcgrapher. Washington D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUTHER G. BILLINGS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

CABINET FOR TYPE-WRITERS, 800.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 414,968, dated November 12, 1889.

Application filed March 22, 1888. Serial No. 268,134. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER G. BILLINGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at lrVashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cabinets for Type-VVriters and other Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to cabinets or desks for type-writers. It is desirable to have a cover for the well or recess in which the machine is inclosed which may be got out of the way and really out of sight when the machine is to be put into use. Various expedients have been adopted for disposing of such covers, but, so far as I am aware, they all more or less cumber the desk-top and occupy a space which it is advantageous to have for writing purposes when the machine is not employed. In one instance a knockdown roll-top has been employed to inclose a machine set on top of instead of in a well in a table; but this, when down, lies in part upon the desk-top and obstructs its use for writing purposes. In all other instances, so far as I am aware, the cover for the well has been hinged to some fixed part of the cabinet, and when opened stands up from the cabinet or else folds down upon it; but in either case it is more or less in the way.

My invention consists in a type-writercabinet or desk having a fiat roll-top, as I will proceed now to set forth and claim.

In the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is asectional perspective View of my improvement. Fig. 2 is avertical section through the center of the well. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken in the plane of line m :10, Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a cross-section (longitudinal) taken in the plane of line y y, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 shows in perspective and section the details of the shelf-supporting mechanism, and Fig. 6 shows in two views two forms of machine-retaining hooks.

The cabinet, as already stated, may be made in conventional for1nthat is to say, with two sides or end sections 1 and 2, containing usual drawers, shelves, and closet in any desired arrangement, and a back or (1, made in the said adjacent walls of the sides at the rear of the desk, and preferably in front of the back 3 of the desk, no pocket or other receptacle thus being needed to receive or conceal the roll-top. The roll-top is operated in its ways 0 d by hand, pushing it back to uncover and pulling it forward to cover the well. In its simplest form the roll-top is composed of a number of bevel-edge strips of wood Z), laid together parallel and edge for edge, and secured by canvas 12 to which they are gluedor otherwise fixed, the top b being finished off in the manner and with the same sort of material as that covering the tops of the sides. Stops esuch as screws-may be applied to the under side of the roll-top to engage similar stops e' e at the rear and front of the well, to limit the backward and forward movements of the roll-top.

By the use of the flat roll-top arranged as shown and just described I gain the following advantages, namely: When the machine is not in use, the whole top of the cabinet is an unbroken fiat surface, capable of use as a writing-desk and without visible evidence of its design for other purposes. Again,-the roll-top, when pushed back, disappears from view and forms no obstruction Whatever upon or adjacent to the desk or cabinet; hence in this last consideration the cabinet requires in use no greater space than that occupied by its length and breadth when not in use, for it has no projecting covers or tops, and moreover, as stated, there is no pocket or receptacle for the roll-top, which at the same time would form a lodging place for dust and dirt.

The roll-top may be operated wholly independently of the shelf or platform for the for locking together the shelf and roll-top, when closed, for purposes of securing and protecting the machine. And moreover, by using the flat roll-top on a level with the stationary members of the top when the typewriter is to be employed, the roll-top may be cleared of papers by simply shoving them aside onto the stationary portions.

The shelf f is pivoted within the recess or well a, rather forward of a line drawn midway between its ends, so that it would tend by gravity to assume the inclined position shown in full lines, Figs. 1 and 2.

The shelf supporting and pivoting devices are constructed substantially as follows: A T-arm g is fastened to each side of the shelf at the pivoting-points just indicated by counter-sinking its head into said sides and securing it by screws, the shanks of the Ts projecting below the shelf and being secured to the side walls of the sides preferably by pivotbolts 72. The lower ends of the arms 9 are provided with bosses g, which take the place of washers. These arms play in curved ways '2', attached to the side walls of the sides, and having offsets or shoulders i t forming front and back stops for the said arms. The said ways' have their ends arranged in planes corresponding with the two positions it is desired the shelf to have, and the arms g relatively are so pivoted that when the shelf is given either position it will bear upon the said ways, which thereby relieve the bolts 71. of some of the strain.

The arms g are pivoted at such near points to the front of the cabinet that when the shelf is brought into horizontal position it will project quite far out from the cabinet, so as to come well within the operators lap and so as to clear the corners of the sides of the cabinet. This is quite an important feature of my construction. As a matter of fact, the shelf has such a projection to the extent of from five to six inches, so that the corners of the desk are quite removed from interference with the operators person and with the traverse of the machine-carriage.

The face of the shelf has applied to it hooks j of suitable construction and guide-pins 7:, to serve, respectively, to retain and guide or direct the machine in its movements on the shelf. It will be understood from this that the machinesay a Remington type-writer,which has its center of gravity to the rearward of midway between its ends-is most easily used in my cabinet by simply placing it fiat upon the shelf and having the hooksj grasp its inner walls, while the pins 7; are outside said walls. \Vhen the shelf is horizontal and the machine to be used, the machine will be pulled forward, (see dotted lines M, Fig. 2,) so that its rear will occupy a piace in front of the center of gravity of the shelf, and so assist in holding the shelf horizontal, and when the machine is no longer required it is shoved back, (see dotted lines M, Fig. 2,) and tends to bring the shelf into the inclined position shown in the drawings. Instead of screwhooks 7, there may be used hooks (see Fig. 6) rising rigidly from a plate 7, screwed to the shelf. These plates and hooks maybe east together. The plate may have a pointed lug 7 to be driven into the shelf and then fastened by a single screw, as at O, or it may be fastened by two screws without the use of the lug, as at D.

In order to overcome the dead-weightto be handled in operating the shelf, I provide springs I, (here shown as composed of coils secured to headed studs m on plates 12,) oneof the ends Z of the springs being lengthy and bearing with the full force of the sprin against the under side of the shelf, and the other ends being short and serving as stop ends Z, abutting against posts 0 of said plates to hold the springs in place. The plates '11 are preferably sunk into the sidewalls of the well or recess and secured therein by screws or other fastenings.

The studs m and their heads are smaller in diameter than the coils of the springs when the springs are not under tension, so that said coils may be easily placed upon and removed from said studs, and when they are so placed and the shelf is in position the shelf in all positions puts tension upon the springs, contracts their coils diametrically against the resistance of the ends Z and Z bearing, respectively, upon the shelf and posts 0, and hence the coils cannot escape from the heads on the studs m. This construction and mode of securing the springs is simple and inexpensive and makes a very easily-handled article. The springs Z tend to throw the shelf into horizontal position and hold it there; but in pushing back the machine on the shelf past the center of gravity the weight of the machine is just about sufficient to overcome the springs and let it and the shelf down into the inclined position without jar or shock, while but slight pressure is required 011 the shelf to bring it horizontal again. The springs may be omitted, thouglrl prefer to use them.

The adjacent faces of the arms g and ways i are curved, as shown in the sections A B, Fig. 5, so as to reduce friction, the ways i embracing the arms g, and these arms being rigidly secured to the shelf serve to tie together and brace the sides of the cabinet, and thus prevent them from warping out of parallelism, as sometimes occurs.

A bracket 13 is secured to the sides at the rear of the well to meet andarrest the lower end of the shelf when inclined. This bracket maybe beveled or provided with guides next the ways (1, so as to insure the descent of the roll-top, or, in other words, prevent the descending roll-top from catching against it.

The sides of the well are made plain and fiat, and the shelf fitted closely therein, so as to make as dust-tight a receptacle for the machine as possible, the bracket 19 contributing in this direction.

The front edge of the shelf may be provided with a molding r in continuation of the molding of the cabinet. v

A lock 5 may be used to connect the shelf and roll-top and protect the machine.

I-Iooks t, pivoted to the stops e and engaging eyes on the shelf, maybe used in connection with the lock 3 to retain the shelf in inclined position against the action of the springs, but other locking or retaining devices may be employed.

By my construction of shelf and shelf-supporting devices the shelf is very rigidly and solidly held in horizontal position for use, all \vabbling and unsteadinessv being avoided, and the shelf coming out, as noted, well into the operators lap puts the machine in the best position for easy control and manipulation.

The shelf as thus set forth has been divided from this case, ancl forms the subject of Letters Patent No. 411,004, dated September 17, 1889.

hat I claim isfixed top of the desk and when opened disappears from view within the well or recess without obstructing or overlying the desktop, substantially as described.

2. A type-writer cabinet having a recess or Well for the machine, a pivoted shelf in said well or recess for the reception and support of the machine, and a roll-top for said well, which when closed lies in the plane of the fixed top of the desk and which when opened disappears from view within the well or recess without obstructing 0r overlying the top of the desk, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of March, A. D. 1888.

' LUTHER G. BILLINGS.

Witnesses:

E. M. SHUSTER, F. H. SKERRETT. 

